Visitors from Denmark will view city’s regeneration schemes

Published on Tuesday, May 16, 2017

A DANISH delegation will be in the city later this week to find out more about Leicester’s regeneration plans.

Around a dozen local councillors and officials from Vejle – a town 150 miles from Copenhagen – will arrive on a two-day ‘study tour’ of the city on Wednesday (17), to learn more about the Connecting Leicester and Waterside projects.

The delegation will visit London, Leicester and Manchester while in the UK. While in Leicester, they will take to bikes for a guided tour of the city’s riverside, where they will view several stages of regeneration as part of the Waterside project.

They will also tour the city centre, taking in areas that have been transformed by the Connecting Leicester project, such as Cathedral Gardens, the new Haymarket bus station and Jubilee Square.

Andrew Smith, director of planning, transportation and economic development at the city council, said: “We have lots of very successful urban regeneration work to showcase in Leicester – both completed and ongoing. The riverside area is a perfect case study. As well as investing in improved cycle paths and green spaces – such as at the Space Centre and Ellis Meadows – we are continuing to regenerate this area to bring jobs and investment to the city. The Dock and Friars Mill business spaces are great examples of this.

“In the city centre, our Connecting Leicester programme has improved cycle and pedestrian walkways so that the city’s heritage and attractions are now more easily linked with retail and business areas.

“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved and pleased that the Danes – who have such a good reputation for urban design – are interested in seeing what we’ve done. It will also be a great chance to share new ideas and best practice so that our ongoing and future projects can benefit from their expertise.”

Current projects under way as part of Connecting Leicester include resurfacing of streets in the Old Town area of the city, plus the second phase of a £9.2million redevelopment plan for Leicester Market, with a new public square in place of the old indoor market.

The £25million Waterside project will see around 300 new homes, new offices, shops, green space and canal-side paths created. Already, the historic Friars Mill has been restored and converted into high-quality business spaces.

The Danish delegation will include Vejle’s deputy mayor, Søren Peschardt, plus its city architect Lisbet Wolters.

Mr Peschardt said: “Leicester has undergone a very clever transformation in terms of regeneration and interconnection of the city by means of green corridors, parks and recreational spaces. The city of Vejle is in the middle of the same process, so we wanted to visit and get inspired.

“We’d like to thank Leicester City Council for the comprehensive programme they have provided for us during our stay, and the warm welcome we know they will offer.”